NA too much for Cumberland

BURRILLVILLE – The Cumberland hockey team plays in the Burrillville Winter Classic every season to see what improvements it needs to make if the Clippers want to make a run to Brown’s Meehan Auditorium in March.

After Thursday afternoon’s 2-0 loss to defending tournament champion North Attleboro at Levy Rink, Clipper coach Mark Andreozzi spotted plenty of areas for improvement for a team that rarely struggled in its first four Division II games.

“In the first two periods we were flat on our feet and didn’t move our feet. We didn’t do the things we need to do,” Andreozzi said. “In the third we did that and that’s why we had more shots in the third than the first two periods We were skating with them and had opportunities. We did things a lot better in the third.

“This game taught us a few things: we need to play for three periods and we need to move our feet. We need to keep getting better. We can’t be satisfied with the level we’re at.”

Cumberland (4-1, 4-0 Division II) still has a chance to reach Sunday’s title game, but the first step to reaching that goal is defeating Division I foe Moses Brown co-op this afternoon at 1. Even though the Quakers have yet to win a Division I game, they have plenty of top-end talent, led by forward Dom Froio.

“We scrimmaged them, so we know they have top-end skill,” Andreozzi said. “We need to start quicker because we only had two shots through the first two periods. We were lucky to only be down 1-nothing going into the third.”

North Attleboro (1-2) dropped a pair of one-goal decisions in its first two games before earning its first victory of the season Thursday. While Cumberland sophomore goalie Jack Byrne made 19 saves to keep his team in the game, Ryan Warren only had to make six saves to earn his first shutout.

The Red Rocketeers used their size advantage to completely nullify the Clippers in the opening period. While Cumberland didn’t record a shot on net, Byrne was forced to make nine saves. The home side scored the only goal they would need 9:52 into the opening period when sophomore Tyler Sarro stripped a Clipper of the puck in the neutral zone and ripped a shot past Byrne.

“I don’t think they were faster than us, but they were stronger than us,” Andreozzi said. “We needed to use our speed because I think we’re a fast team. I don’t care how fast you are, if you stand still you’re not going anywhere. We needed to attack the puck and on the forecheck we were gliding through the zone and not doing the little things that we need to do.”

Cumberland played a little better in the second period, and the Clippers nearly tied the game on the power play with six minutes left in the period when Aidan Clarey forced Warren to sprawl on his stomach. The Clipper junior couldn’t lift his shot over Warren, who made just second save of the afternoon on the play.

Jackson Shevlin came close top tying the game three minutes into the third period, but Warren made a superb point-blank save. Dominic Rousseau nearly broke in on goalp alone three minutes later, but a great defensive play by a Red Rocketeer muffled Rousseau’s shot from the right circle.

North Attleboro put the game away with 88 seconds left in regulation when Anthony Zammiello created a power-play goal for John Connolly.

“When you’re winning games the players think they’re at a certain level that they have to be at, but we need to get better” Andreozzi said. p

The Red Rocketeers can clinch a spot in Sunday’s title game with a victory in tomorrow night’s pool game against the Quakers at 6. Cumberland 0 0 0 -0

North Attleboro 1 0 1 - 2

b First period – NA, Tyler Sarro (unassisted), 9:52. Second period – No scoring.

Third period – NA, John Connolly (Anthony Zammiello), pp, 13:32.

Saves – C, Jack Byrne (21 saves); Ryan Warren (6 saves).